Uribe bodyguards use force against protester at speaking event in London

Bodyguards of former Colombia President Alvaro Uribe dragged to the ground and hit a young English protester Thursday while throwing him out of a speaking event the former president was having at the University of London.

Uribe went to London last week to speak about his opposition the peace talks between the FARC and the government happening in Havana, Cuba. At the auditorium for his event, he was met by a group of student and human rights activists who received him with signs and shouts spoken in Spanish, denouncing the polemic former president.

The protesters criticized Uribe for “parapolitics” and human rights abuses, such as extrajudicial killings (false positive scandal),as well as violence and intimidation tactics perpetrated by a high level government agency, DAS, among other issues during his tenure in political office.

At the event, presumed members of Uribe’s security team became confrontational when stopping a young Englishman who attempted to capture the former president on film.

Security proceeded to drag the young man to the door, throw him outside of the event and prevent his reentry.

“Remember we are in the United Kingdom, where we have the right to protest,” said the protester as he struggled with security. “I’m not committing any violent act, you cannot get rid of me.”

English police present at the scene reportedly asked Uribe’s security to refrain from using force against the protester.